Guiles rewriting record book

Jim Monos remembers the first time he saw Ben Guiles play a
sport in person.

It wasn't football. Monos had seen enough of that on tape to know
Guiles had the raw talent.

Instead, Monos opted for one of Guiles' playoff basketball games
during his time at Columbia High School (Pa.).

"I always like to do that," Monos said from his office Monday
afternoon. "If I get a chance to see guys play another sport, it
helps me to understand a little bit better how they compete. ...
And wow, what a competitor. And wow, what an athlete."

Two "wows" in one thought -- yeah, Monos was impressed. He watched
Guiles, an undersized post player facing a school with a much
higher enrollment, get banged around all game down low. Not once
did it faze him. It was at that point Monos knew Guiles could help
Lebanon Valley win football games.

Fast forward about four years and Guiles has done more than help
Lebanon Valley win games. The senior running back has already
started the process of re-writing the team's record book.

In this past Saturday's 61-37 win over Stevenson, Guiles tallied
60 yards and three touchdowns on just 10 carries. The three scores
pushed Guiles' career total to 36 rushing touchdowns, a mark that
eclipsed former teammate and backfield partner-in-crime Charlie
Parker for the most in team history.

Through four games this season, Guiles has piled up 373 yards on
56 carries and another 124 yards on seven receptions. His 10 total
touchdowns scored (nine rushing, one receiving) and 60 points are
tied with St. Thomas' Colin Tobin for the most in the nation.

Guiles' needs 636 more rushing yards to surpass Parker as the
all-time leader in that category, and needs 38 points to become the
team's all-time leading points scorer.

"He's on track to be someone who will end up in the Hall of Fame
here at Lebanon Valley College," Monos said, matter-of-factly.
"He's that good."

At an even 6-feet, 182 pounds, Guiles looks like a tall, lanky
back. But Monos said it's his superior vision and home-run,
break-away ability that sets him apart.

"He ran a sprint draw Saturday and the [Stevenson] kid had him
dead to rights," Monos said. "He never touched him. [Ben] just made
a move to the left and then continued on."

It's that instinctive ability to make defenders miss that has
helped Guiles lead the Dutchmen's offense for the last few years.
Guiles, who considered playing baseball at Lebanon Valley before
ultimately committing himself to football, was added to the varsity
roster by the third week of his freshman season.

Guiles saw some carries that first season, but mainly served as a
backup to Parker, then a junior. The following year, Guiles and
Parker formed one of the more potent running back duos in the
country. Guiles led the team with 988 yards and eight touchdowns,
while Parker was right behind with 966 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Last season, in his first as the lone go-to guy in the backfield,
Guiles set new school marks for rushing yards (1,330) and
touchdowns (17).

The Dutchmen sit at 3-1 overall and 1-1 in the MAC with their only
loss coming to No. 21 Delaware Valley. Lebanon Valley has played in
ECAC games at the end of each of the last two seasons, but many
players -- including Guiles -- played in the 2009 regular-season
finale, a double overtime loss to Albright with an NCAA playoff bid
on the line.

Still, Guiles was a force behind that '09 team, which set a school
record with nine wins that season. If the Dutchmen win at least two
more games this season, Guiles' class will go down as the
winningest in school history.

Don't forget to add team captain, business administration major
and burgeoning musician to Guiles' file. Though Monos admitted the
soft-spoken Guiles generally leads by example rather than words,
the running back isn't afraid to speak up when the timing is
right.

"When Ben does say something, people are listening," Monos said.
"Because he doesn't say it very often, but when he does, they
listen. He's just a real competitor. It's been a real privilege to
coach this guy."

One place where Guiles has no problem cutting loose is a music
stage. Monos, who saw Guiles' band play at a Relay for Life event,
said Guiles is in his element with his guitar in hand.

"I think he's a little different on stage," Monos said with a
laugh. "He can get after it pretty good on stage. I was really a
little taken aback when I watched him perform. He's really very
good."

Then again, should it have surprised Monos that Guiles was a great
guitar player? He's been nothing short of brilliant in his time at
Lebanon Valley.

Like in this year's season opener, when Guiles gouged Gettysburg
for 246 yards from scrimmage on just 20 touches, along with a
school-record five total touchdowns.

"It was like he was almost head and shoulders above anybody else
on the field," Monos said. "It was just one of those days. On the
sideline, you just stood back and shook your head and said, 'Man,
this guy is great. He's really something.'"

Or like the ECAC Southwest Bowl against Salisbury in 2009 when
Guiles, nursing an injured shoulder, ran for a team-best 113 yards
and a score in the Dutchmen's win.

It's performances like those that will define Guiles' legacy.
Luckily for Monos, Guiles likely still has at least six games to
keep sculpting that legacy.

[Editor's note: Due to a series of migraine headaches that
prevented him from practicing this week, Ben Guiles was unable to
be interviewed for this story.]

Hobartrouts perennial contender St.
John Fisher
Raise your hand if you saw this one coming? OK, now put it down
because you're lying. Perhaps you called a close game, as
D3football.com's own Keith McMillan did in Friday's Daily Dose. But
no one was expecting Hobart to dish out a 56-20 thrashing to St.
John Fisher, a perennial Empire 8 and NCAA contender.

Seriously, how rare was this outcome? Let's take a closer look.
The Cardinals entered Saturday's game having won 17 consecutive
games against colleges in New York State. The 56 points were the
most allowed by St. John Fisher since giving up 71 to Cortland
State in a 1991 blowout. Here's another trivia nugget -- to find
the the last time St. John Fisher lost by 20 or more points to a
team that wasn't Mount Union, you have to go all the way back to a
41-14 loss to Brockport State on Oct. 12, 2002.

Simply put, teams just don't beat St. John Fisher this badly.
But the Cardinals were manhandled Saturday. Hobart held advantages
in first downs (29 to 15), total yards (491 to 263), third down
conversions (71% to 31%) and time of possession (38:18 to
21:42).

Hobart's Nick Strang tied a school record with five touchdown
passes, but the Statesmen's rushing attack was even more
impressive. Strang led the team with 64 yards, while Steven Webb
(55 yards) and four others cracked double digits as Hobart piled up
213 yards on the ground.

Hobart's defense was active and efficient, forcing a fumble,
breaking up six passes and tallying seven tackles for a loss. Tyre
Coleman registered a pair of sacks for Hobart as well. St. John
Fisher's Ryan Kramer (7-for-19, 73 yards) had an uneven day and was
replaced by Ahmed Hassanien with the game out of hand late in the
fourth quarter.

So what, if any, good news is here for the taking for St. John
Fisher? It wasn't a conference loss, so the Cardinals still have
time to figure out what went wrong. The bad news? Alfred is coming
up next, so they better figure it out quickly. The good news for
Hobart is obvious -- the Statesmen sit at 2-0 with a pair of
convincing wins under their belt. Hobart was handcuffed with an
eight-game schedule this year, but they'll enter Liberty League
play with as much confidence as any team in the region right
now.

Alfred holds off Springfield in key Empire 8
tilt
The fact that Alfred defeated Empire 8 rival Springfield 30-22
isn't surprising, in and of itself. It's how the Saxons
accomplished that victory that stands out. Springfield, the
top-ranked rushing team in the country entering the game, piled up
205 yards on the ground in the first half. The score was tied
14-14.

But in the second half, the Pride's often-celebrated,
always-feared triple-option offense stalled, picking up just 27
rushing yards in the final 30 minutes. Springfield managed just
eight more points as Alfred beat Springfield at its own game --
running the football.

The two squads finished dead even at 232 rushing yards, while
Alfred dominated time of possession (36:45 to 23:15). Alfred
sophomore tailback Austin Dwyer led the charge with 137 rushing
yards and a touchdown on 27 carries. But 74 yards from Tyler DeRosa
and two short touchdown runs from goal-line back Nick Clark rounded
out the impressive ground attack.

Through three games, Alfred ranks third in the Empire 8 in team
rushing offense, piling up an average of 215 yards per game. The
Saxons trail only Springfield and Salisbury, which both run the
triple-option. Combine that figure with Alfred's passing attack,
which right now is averaging just under 211 yards per game, and
you've got one of the more balanced offenses in the country.

Cortland avoids second NJAC loss, rallies past
Rowan
If it's possible to face a must-win in just the third game of the
season, that's exactly where Cortland State and Rowan found
themselves in Saturday's matchup. Both squads entered the season
with aspirations of winning the NJAC and earning an NCAA playoff
bid. In the end it was Cortland, coming off a loss to Kean a week
ago, that bounced back with a 31-28 win.

Cortland quarterback Dan Pitcher was nothing short of
outstanding, completing 20-of-29 passes for 315 yards and a pair of
second-half touchdowns, which helped the Red Dragons turn a 21-16
deficit into a 31-21 lead. Rowan led 14-3 in the first quarter, and
21-10 in the second quarter, but Cortland found a way to rally each
time. Pitcher led Cortland on a seven-play, 65-yard drive to open
the second half that culminated in an 18-yard touchdown strike to
Brian Haber.

The Red Dragons' defense, led by Cody Allen (12 tackles), and
Steve Gruber and Connor Tompkins (seven tackles, one sack, 2.5
tackles for loss for each), would hold Rowan scoreless on its next
four possessions. The Cortland offense got the ball inside Rowan
territory on its first possession of the fourth quarter, and
promptly covered the 47 yards in just 2:21 over five plays. Pitcher
hit Mike Humphrey on a 14-yard scoring strike to give Cortland the
lead for good.

John Babin (eight receptions, 183 yards) and kicker Marc Corrado
(three-for-three on field goals, two-for-two on extra points) also
had strong days for the Red Dragons, who sit at 2-1 overall and 1-1
in the NJAC. Rowan quarterback Louie Bianchini finished 25-for-37
passing for 213 yards and two touchdowns, including one to Eddie
Eisenhart (nine receptions, 87 yards).

Rowan, which dropped a low-scoring 8-6 decision in the season
opener to Lycoming, faces Western Connecticut, William Paterson,
Morrisville State and Buffalo State over its next four games. That
quartet is a combined 3-10 overall. A loss to any of those four
would virtually eliminate the Profs from the NJAC race.

Unionfinally snaps losing
skid
A win is a win, particularly in a conference game. But sometimes a
win can just mean so much more. Union knocked off Liberty League
foe Rochester in a high-scoring 41-34 contest this past Saturday.
The victory snapped the Dutchmen's nine-game losing streak, which
dated back to Oct. 9, 2010. If you're counting, that is roughly two
weeks shy of a full calendar year without a win. The best part for
Union? That streak means nothing now -- they're tied for first
place in the Liberty League. Union sits in a three-way tie with
defending champion St. Lawrence and WPI with a 1-0 conference
mark.

It's well known at this point that the Liberty League, more so
than most conferences, is a wide open race. St. Lawrence won the
automatic bid last year by winning five of its six conference games
to finish 5-5. Why couldn't Union do the same? With the weight of
the losing streak finally off their collective back, the Dutchmen
could be ready to turn the corner.

Union flashed its offensive capabilities against Rochester,
piling up 581 total yards of offense. Quarterback Drew Connolly and
wide receiver Justin Gallo were, quite simply, unstoppable.
Connolly connected with Gallo 14 times for 237 yards and three
touchdowns. Gallo broke the record for most career touchdown
receptions in school history, while the 14 receptions rank second
all-time for a single game. Connolly's 363 passing yards is the
fourth-highest single-game total in Union history.

The Dutchmen did the majority of their offensive damage in the
third quarter. After Rochester scored to cut Union's lead to 17-13,
the Dutchmen scored touchdowns on three consecutive possessions --
including an 83-yard touchdown run by Rob Johnson -- to blow the
game open. Rochester quarterback Braezen Subick put up his own
gaudy numbers, finishing with 310 yards and a Rochester
record-tying four touchdown passes. But for the second week in a
row, the Yellowjackets' defense was gouged. After giving up 52
points to St. John Fisher in the Courage Bowl, Rochester struggled
to contain Union's offense.

Ranked teams keep rolling
All five of the East Region top 25 ranked teams remained in the
rankings this week, while a sixth jumped back into the rankings on
its bye week. Aside from Alfred (No. 14) and Cortland (No. 18),
Kean (No. 10), Montclair State (No. 12) and Delaware Valley (No.
21) all won also. Salisbury, which dropped out of the top 25 after
a close-call win against Christopher Newport two weeks ago, came in
at No. 25 this week.

Kean, led by 195 rushing yards and two touchdowns from Chris
Dimicco, held off Western Connecticut in a closer-than-expected,
44-33 win. Montclair State rolled over Buffalo State 53-24 with a
superb defensive effort. The Red Hawks had three sacks, recovered a
pair of fumbles and returned an interception for a touchdown.
Delaware Valley scored the first 44 points en route to a 50-7 win
against FDU-Florham on Saturday.

Quick hits
Ethan Sutton finished with five catches for 107 yards and three
touchdowns to help St. Lawrence edge Merchant Marine 20-10 and
retain the Hoffman Cup. Marcus Washington added 161 rushing yards
as St. Lawrence improved to 2-2 overall and 1-0 in the Liberty
League. J.P. Gosselin led the Mariners (1-3, 0-1) with 76 rushing
yards and a touchdown. ... Ernie Mello tallied 166 rushing yards
and four touchdowns to help WPI beat RPI 34-31 and win its second
consecutive Transit Trophy since 1995-96. Mello led a ground attack
that piled up 264 yards in total. Defensively, John Perron (five
tackles, one fumble recovery, two interceptions) earned Liberty
League Defensive Player of the Week honors for his performance. RPI
quarterback Mike Hermann rushed for three touchdowns and threw for
another in the loss. ... Albright forced three turnovers in a
lopsided 57-17 rout of King's Saturday. Drew Peterson tallied a
pair of interceptions, including one which he returned 78 yards for
a touchdown, while David Webb had six tackles, a fumble recovery
and three pass breakups. Albright has been rolling of late, scoring
at least 46 points in each of its last three games. ... While teams
like Kean, Cortland State and Montclair State steal most of the
headlines in the NJAC, but TCNJ has quietly got off to a 3-0 start,
including a 2-0 mark in conference. Joe Falco (113 rushing yards,
one touchdown) led the Lions past Morrisville State 28-14 Saturday.
Lemar Johnson (206 passing yards, 107 rushing yards, two total
touchdowns) powered the Morrisville offense. ... Dawys German
rushed for 157 yards and caught a pair of touchdown passes to lead
William Patterson (2-1, 1-1) past Brockport State 35-23. ... Wilkes
handed Widener its first loss of the season, 35-27 Saturday, behind
a season-high 332 rushing yards. Zach Tivald led the way with 147
yards on 21 carries, but Alex George (98 yards, three touchdowns)
was just as effective. ... Hartwick dropped a tough 7-3 decision to
Mount Ida in a defensive struggle. Jordan Wilkins tallied 99 yards
on seven receptions, but Hartwick's two quarterbacks -- Dan
Brainard and Keegan Corbett -- combined to go 17-for-38 with four
interceptions.

Looking ahead
Which St. John Fisher (2-1, 0-0) will No. 14 Alfred (3-0, 1-0)
host at 4 p.m. this Saturday? The St. John Fisher squad that
thoroughly dominated Rochester in the Courage Bowl two weeks ago?
Or the St. John Fisher team that was bullied in every aspect of the
game by Hobart this past Saturday? Here's another question to
ponder -- will it even matter? Alfred is running like a well-oiled
machine so far this season. The Saxons will be tough to beat.

St. Lawrence (2-2, 1-0) is coming off its first conference win of
the season. Hobart (2-0, 0-0) is coming off one of its bigger wins
in recent memory. Whose momentum will mean more when the two teams
face off at 2 p.m. Saturday in Geneva, N.Y.? That remains to be
seen. St. Lawrence won a tight 24-21 decision last season.

Montclair State (3-0, 2-0) looked every bit like a top 15 team
this past weekend. It's fair to expect much of the same when the
Red Hawks travel to Brockport State (0-3, 0-2) for a 1 p.m. kickoff
Saturday. But Montclair State only edged Morrisville State by a
single point earlier this season. The Red Hawks must avoid a
similar upset scare in their quest for an NJAC crown.

Jason Bowen has 10 years of Division III coaching experience at Wesley, where he was also the Sports Information Director. He currently provides color analysis on broadcasts of Wesley games on WDEL Radio 1150AM and has served as a staff and freelance writer for the Delaware State News in Dover. He has been a contributor for D3football.com since 2006. By day he teaches high school biology. He is a 1992 graduate of and three-year letter winner at linebacker for Mansfield (Pa.) University.